Bima Arya Supports Strengthening Regional Child Violence Handling System

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto affirmed the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (Kemendagri) support for strengthening the system for handling violence against women and children in the regions. According to Bima, strengthening the system is necessary so that case handling does not rely solely on personal initiative, but can run in an integrated and sustainable manner. He said this is important considering that the issue of violence against children, women, and sexual violence has become a major concern for regional governments. This was conveyed by Bima during a Coordination Meeting on the Implementation of the Pilot Programme for Integrated Services for Women and Children at the Ministry of Law, Jakarta, Monday (10/8). “If we look at what is different about the system that the Deputy Minister [of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection] initiated, there is a kind of compelling system force, not just initiatives, but there are cases [of violence] that systematically must be prioritised or resolved,” Bima said. In line with these efforts, regional governments have been carrying out the mandate of Law Number 12 of 2022 concerning the Crime of Sexual Violence, one of which is by encouraging the establishment of Regional Technical Implementation Units for the Protection of Women and Children (UPTD PPA) in all provinces, regencies, and cities in Indonesia. However, in its implementation, there are still a number of challenges that need to be overcome, especially in ensuring the handling system can run effectively and sustainably. Therefore, strengthening the system in the regions is not enough just through institutional formation, but also needs to be supported by adequate resources and financing. In this context, Bima emphasised the Ministry of Home Affairs’ support for strengthening the integrated handling system in the regions. This support is carried out through guidance and supervision, including ensuring the budgeting aspect and strengthening the legal basis that underpins programme implementation in the regions. “It is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ role to supervise, guide, and ensure whether the budget is allocated or not,” he added. Furthermore, Bima stated that if the system is to be replicated in other regions, a more in-depth study is required, taking into account the needs of each region. According to him, regulatory aspects and regional financing capacity need to be an important part of determining the readiness for programme replication. “But the most fundamental issue today is more about the availability of budget from the Regional Budget (APBD) in the regions. So, the extent to which we want to replicate this in the regions based on a clear legal foundation must be studied more deeply depending on the specific needs of the region,” he concluded.